Cancer is integrated into our genes. This makes it highly unavoidable, especially for families that have a long list of individuals with cancer. This makes it hard for many medical professionals to create a robust treatment plan, aside from the ones we already have nowadays (e.g., chemotherapy, surgery, immunotherapy, etc.). But we are making better treatments to help combat cancer each passing day. So how are we exactly doing it?
Analysis of Anti-Cancer and Cancer Cells
Cancer comes in the form of cells multiplying in our body. This isn’t generally a bad thing; it’s a necessary process that’s essential to living. However, it is when these cells start producing uncontrollably that it becomes a problem. When abnormal or damaged cells reproduce unchecked, tumors are formed. These tumors can then invade other nearby tissues consuming them entirely. Through a rigorous review of cell proliferation and visibility assays, we can understand this process and develop a treatment for it. This is why chemotherapy has been way known way to treat cancer.
But interestingly enough, some of the most effective treatments aren’t centered on treating the cancer head-on but instead preventing it from happening through interpersonal means. Communities play a significant role in cancer treatment and preventing cancer from occurring. Here are ways your community can help combat cancer.
Support Groups
Cancer plays a significant role in our bodies. This much is true. It can affect how we function and how we work. The later stages of cancer can entirely hinder our productivity if not appropriately treated. However, one effect of cancer in our lives that garners some attention in the scientific community for the last few years is its comorbidity with mental disorders, namely, depression. It’s pretty typical for patients to have feelings of helplessness and bouts of loneliness and sadness when they have cancer. This can be attributed to various factors. Namely, the force or change in lifestyle plans hindered due to the illness or a career change. Regardless of the reason, cancer patients and family members must get the help they need.
One way communities can help treat this particular aspect of cancer is through support groups. Support groups have been known to alleviate the pain of depression and helplessness. It can also help cope with the sadness and loneliness that cancer patients feel. It’s also good to have people who can understand them fully when it comes to the symptoms of the illness. Generally, it can help increase a person’s well-being, which is essential when combating cancer.
Creating a support group is relatively straightforward. You don’t necessarily need a psychologist to overlook a meeting. All you need is a social worker or anyone who has experience with support groups to facilitate the sharing. You can have meetings once or twice a month. These meetings can help cancer patients feel like they belong.
Helping at Home
Cancer volunteer programs have been set up in many states in the US to help people with cancer adapt to daily life, especially for the aged and those who live alone. For example, some cancer patients may have trouble handling menial tasks such as taking the trash out or cooking or eating. Cancer volunteers can help during situations where there is no one to help them. This can make a world of difference to patients who have trouble moving their bodies or those who are fresh from surgery.
Setting these programs isn’t that hard. All you have to do is register your community to non-profit cancer groups such as the Cancer Council Institute. If your community has some funding, you can also establish your volunteer group. This is great for communities with many cancer patients who are debilitated by the illness.
Being Part of Cancer Research
There are never enough volunteers for cancer research. Those who have the illness and those who don’t have it are all welcome to cancer research. The entire community can also be involved in the research when addressing the societal factors of cancer and how we can manage them together. Many scientists and researchers travel from city to city to do these kinds of research, so make sure that you contact them if they visit your town. They can offer various incentives for letting community members join the research. Maybe even free treatment to those who need it.
Here are various ways the community can help cancer patients to their recovery. Handling cancer can be challenging, but you don’t have to do it alone. As more and more treatments are being produced every year because of scientific progress, we should also do our part by helping cancer patients function normally in our community. We can easily do that by starting these activities.